The Government's flagship Teaching Schools are running talent-spotting
sessions in which pupils are marked out as future teachers, particularly in
areas with recruitment problems

Schoolchildren as young as 14 are being marked out as future teachers as part of a plan to plug holes in the workforce.

The Government's flagship Teaching Schools are identifying pupils with an aptitude for the job, including leadership potential, good presentation skills and expertise in "shortage" subjects such as science and maths, it has emerged.

In some cases, pupils are encouraged to improve their skills by tutoring children in local primary schools and taking part in formal "get into teaching" sessions in the sixth-form.

Charlie Taylor, chief executive of the Government's National College for Teaching and Leadership, said it had been a "common theme, particularly in parts of the country where it is more difficult to recruit".

"I was talking to schools from Skegness and Cleethorpes the other day who said they knew they are going to have to recruit from their own community," he said.

"So what they are doing is, from an early age, beginning to tap up people with talent and say, 'look, go away to university but stay in touch with us; we would love to get you back to do a training programme'."

Ashton on Mersey School in Sale, Cheshire - one of around 550 designated Teaching Schools - sends its GCSE pupils to teach ICT in local primary schools.

All sixth-formers take part in enrichment activities on a Wednesday afternoon, which includes developing potential teaching capabilities.

It also runs a specific "get into teaching' session, delivered by its Training School manager during its annual careers fair.

Vicky Beer, executive principal, said: "It is about developing the characteristics that make really good teachers and cultivating that and making sure that there's a seed planted at an early age - probably at 14 - around them thinking that it's a good career aspiration to be a teacher."

She said students with teaching potential are put "on a pathway where they start to get their experience at sixth-form, then go off to university, do their degrees and apply back" to do a full teacher training course.

The comments follow a report from the Commons education select committee in 2012 that recommended the Government should develop a formal "internship'' system, similar to one run in Singapore, to allow youngsters to experience teaching.

It said pupils should get "taster sessions'' that should include actual teaching, rather than just observing lessons, with students given feedback afterwards.

Mr Taylor added: "I think it is fantastic. We have a captive audience here and it is a fantastic opportunity for us to say this is amazing job and an exciting profession."